Huck Finn - Jim :: essays research papers

Throughout all of his adventures Jim shows compassion as his most prominent trait. He makes the reader aware of his many superstitions and Jim exhibits gullibility in the sense that he Jim always assumes the other characters in the book will not take advantage of him. One incident proving that Jim acts naive occurs halfway through the novel, when the Duke first comes into the scene "By right I am a duke! Jim’s eyes bugged out when he heard that..." In the novel, Huck Finn, one can legitimately prove that compassion, superstitious and gullibility illustrate Jim’s character perfectly. To begin with, among the many characteristics of Jim, his compassionate nature shows throughout the book. When Huck and Jim come across the floating boathouse, Jim finds a dead man inside. He advises Huck not to look as he says, "It’s a dead man... dead two er three days... come in Huck, but doan’ look at his face." At the end of the book the reader finds out that the dead man turns out as Huck’s father. Further on down the river, Huck and Jim engage in a deep conversation. Jim speaks of the family he feels he has left behind. Jim tries hard to save up all his money in hopes of buying back his wife and children when he becomes a free man. He expresses that he feels terrible for leaving behind his family and misses them very much. As a result, Huck feels responsible and guilty for ruining Jim’s freedom. Huck decides that he wants to reveal the truth, that Jim really isn’t a free man. His conscience tells him not to and instead he fi nds himself helping Jim rather than giving him up. Jim feels so thankful to Huck when he says ". . .it’s all on account of Huck, I’s a free man, ... you’s the best friend Jim’s ever had..." Even further along, Huck becomes separated from Jim and living at the Grangerford’s. Huck doesn’t know if he’ll ever see Jim again. He also doesn’t realize Jim has found a hiding spot not very far away. He asks one of the Grangferford’s slaves about Huck’s condition and how well the lifestyle of the Grangerfords suites him. A slave reunites Jim and Huck and Huck proceeds to ask, "Why didn’t you tell my Jack to fetch me here sooner, Jim?" Jim replies, "Well, ‘twarn’t no use to ‘sturb you, Huck.